Kingdom Plantae Family Myrtaceae Scientific name Kunzea glabrescens | Order Myrtales Genus Kunzea Rank Species | |
Similar Kunzea ericifolia, Eremaea pauciflora, Melaleuca preissiana, Allocasuarina fraseriana, Drakaea elastica | ||
Kunzea glabrescens is a species of Western Australian shrub known by the common name spearwood. The plant is also known as Native Tea and by the Noongar people as Kitja Boorn, Boorndil or Condil.
K. glabrescens typically grows 1.5 to 4 metres (5 to 13 ft) high in sandy soil and bears yellow flowers in October and November.
The plant is often found in wet depressions and along watercourses as far north as Gingin and then south through the Swan Coastal Plain, Peel region through the South West region and extending into the Great Southern region as far east as Albany.
As the name suggests the plant was often used to make spears for hunting game. The early colonists use the plant to make a native tea that was considered refreshing but also used as a tonic. More recently it has been used to make bean poles inn market gardens and construct craypots.